Benton
County Tennessee
Genealogy

Early Settlers Biographies

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John Phifer was born about 1815 in
Kentucky. He was possibly the son of John Phifer Sr. John
Jr. was married twice, his first marriage was to Mary Ann
Farmer on April 25, 1842 in Benton Co., TN, by Thomas L.
Floyd, JP.

Mary Ann was born in 1825 in Tennessee to Mr. &
Mrs. Farmer. She died between 1870-1878. John Phifer Jr.
married his second wife, Elizabeth Gibson on April 6,
1878 in Benton Co., TN, by A.M.C. Gossett MG. Elizabeth
was born in 1831 in Tennessee. John and Elizabeth had no
children together. John & Elizabeth appear in
District #7 in the 1880 Benton Co., TN census.

John Phifer Jr. & Mary Ann
Farmer had seven children. Thomas R. Phifer was born in
1845 in Tennessee. Thomas was married to Virginia N.
(unknown). They are listed in the 1870 Benton Co., TN
census. Nothing further is known about them after 1870.
They do not appear in the Benton Co., TN 1880 census.
Their marriage was not located in the Benton Co., TN
marriages.

Margaret Phifer was born in 1847 in Tennessee. She
was listed as single in the home of her parents until
1870. Nothing further is known at this time.

Alexander Lafayette Phifer was born on Jan.29, 1850
in Tennessee. He married Mary Ann Melton on Dec.4, 1871
in Benton Co., TN, by J.P. Lashlee JP. Alexander died on
May 20, 1925, burial was in the Phifer Cemetery in Benton
Co., TN.

Victoria Phifer was born in 1852 in Benton Co. TN.
She was listed as single age 25 in the home of her father
& step-mother in the 1880 Benton Co., TN census.
Nothing further is known at this time.

Mary Phifer was born in 1854 in Tennessee. She was
listed as single in the home of her parents through 1870.
Nothing further is known at this time.

Henry A. Phifer was born in 1857 in Tennessee. He
married Mary C. Pierce on Dec. 31, 1876 in Benton Co., TN
by E. Holloman MG. Henry & his wife appear in the
1880 Benton Co., TN census.

Daniel Phifer was born in 1861 in Tennessee. He was
listed as age 19 at home with his father & stepmother
in the 1880 Benton Co., TN census. Nothing further is
known at this time.

Samuel M. Madden was born 7 January 1796 in North
Carolina the son of John W. Madden. Samuel was the
progenitor of the family that settled in Benton County,
TN. He married Jane Allison on 27 February 1817, who
lived in the Halls Creek Community of Humphreys County,
TN. Jane was born 3 October 1795 in North Carolina and
died in the Rocky Ridge Community of Benton County, TN on
31 March 1870. She was buried in the Smith Cemetery, also
known as the Smith/Whitfield Cemetery, located in the
Fifth Civil District of Benton County. Samuel M. Madden
died in Benton County on 19 May 1871 and buried by his
wife in the Smith Cemetery.

Samuel M. and Jane Madden had issue:

1. Elizabeth J. Madden born 28 January 1818.
2. Archibald H. Madden born 29 January 1820 and died in
August of 1820.
3. Martha B. Madden born 24 December 1821, married George
Washington Rushing on 1 February 1853, married second
John J. Bush on 2 May 1858 and married third James Alsup
on 5 April 1871. Date of death unknown but was buried in
the Smith Cemetery.
4. James Lee Madden born 1 October 1824, married Amanda
Gaddy, died 10 May 1856 and buried in the Smith Cemetery.
5. Thomas B. Madden born 8 April 1827 and married Louisa
Jane Collins on 23 September 1851 in Benton County.
6. Eliza A. Madden born 28 May 1829 and married John
O'Guinn on 26 August 1857 in Benton County.
7. Samuel Harvey Madden born 16 October 1831 and married
Rebecca Ann Greer on 21 December 1857 in Benton County.
8. Mary Caroline Madden born 31 January 1834 in Humphreys
County and married J.R. Greer on 11 October 1857 in
Benton County.
9. Susan Paralee Madden born 12 April 1837 in Benton
County and married Lewis Pafford on 26 May 1856.
10 John Morgan Madden born 24 July 1839.

John Morgan Madden married Sarah L. Herrin on 21
March 1865 in Benton County and had issue:

1. James Virgil Madden
2. Mary Ann Madden
3. Fleix Paten Madden
4. Laura Jane Madden, who was killed by lightning at age
of twelve.
5. Finis Dedrick Madden
6. Brenda Mae Madden born in and died in 1903 at the age
of nineteen.

Sarah L. (Herrin) Madden died 23 August 1901 and
John Morgan Madden married second Mary Ann (Pafford)
Warrick on 21 December 1904, who was the widow of John
Riley Warrick. John Morgan Madden died 2 July 1925 and
buried in the Rushing Creel Cemetery.

Fleix Paten Madden born 29 November 1868, married
Mary Eliza Parker on 11 July 1895 in Benton County.

They had issue:

1. John Moses Madden died at the age of
sixty-three.
2. Zula Lilly Madden died at age seventy-four.
3. James Franklin Madden died at age sixty-six.
4. Clara Elizabeth Madden died at age sixty-three.
5. Walter Ray Madden died at age Seventy.

Walter Ray Madden born 26 July 1913 and died 7
September 1983. He married Earline Cheatham on 8 April
1933 at Faxon, TN, who died 17 February 1984 at age
seventy-two.

Walter Ray and Earline Madden had issue:

1. Mary Ellen Madden.
2. Modena Ann, who died at age two in 1938.
3. Walter Ray Madden, Jr. born 25 May 1938 and married
Andria Mai Melton on 6 June 1959.
4. Jonny Caldwell Madden.
5. Phyllis Rene Madden born 21 February 1938 and married
Charles Cooper on 20 August 1972.

Dennis Barnes was born about 1765 in South
Carolina. He married sometime before 1806, although her
name is not known. They had five known children and
probably others. The family moved to Tennessee sometime
between 1810 and 1813 and eventually settled in that part
of Humphreys County, Tennessee that became Benton County,
Tennessee in 1836. His wife died after 1819 and before
1824 and he married Amy, whose maiden name is not known.
They were probably married in Humphreys County where such
records have been lost by fire. She was born in 1787 in
Tennessee and died between 1850 and 1860.

Dennis Barnes known children by first marriage
were:
1. William Barnes born 16 February 1808 in South
Carolina.
2. Henry Barnes born in 1810 in South Carolina.
3. Davis Barnes born in 1813 in Tennessee.
4. Dennis Barnes, Jr. born in 1815 in Tennessee and
married Mary Ann Tyner on 11 October 1838 in Tishomingo
County, Mississippi.
5. Louise A. Barnes born in 1819 in Tennessee and died
between 1880 and 1899.

Dennis children by second marriage were:
1. Lucinda Barnes born 27 July 1824, married John J.
Tyner and died 12 February 1885 at Fairview, Green
County, Arkansas.
2. Mary Barnes born in 1828 and married John Mothershed
on 23 September 1844 in Benton County, Tennessee.
3. Jesse Barnes married Mary (?) and died in 1848.

Dennis Barnes died between 1850 and 1860 in Benton
County, Tennessee. His son, William Barnes, married Sarah
Wyatt on 14 January 1827 in Humphreys County, Tennessee
and made their home in the part of that county that
became Benton County, Tennessee in 1836. She was a
daughter of James and Ellendor Wyatt, who also came from
South Carolina. James Wyatt was a Methodist Minister.

William Barnes also became a Methodist Minister and
kept a birth record of his children in his Bible, as
follows:

1. Alexander Barnes born 2 November 1827.
2. Mary Jane Barnes born 4 October 1829.
3. Andrew Jackson Barnes born 27 August 1831.
4. Susan Ann (Susana) Barnes born 4 September 1833,
married a Mr. Robinson about 1853, married second James
Oxford in May of 1861. James was a son of Samuel Oxford.
5. Martha Margaret Barnes born 28 June 1835, married John
Oxford on 25 December 1851. John and James were brothers.
6. Sarah Elizabeth Barnes born 24 August 1837, married
James Franklin Smothers on 29 April 1857, died 26
September 1883 and buried in the Palestine Methodist
Cemetery.
7. Ann Mariah Barns born 20 November 1839.
8. William James Barnes born 3 September 1843.
9. Nancy Victory Barnes born 3 September 1845.
10. Henry Newton Barnes born 15 July 1849.

Rev. William Barnes was a Methodist Minister in the
Fourth Civil District of Benton County, TN until his
death on 13 December 1862. His wife Sarah died 25 April
1863. She was a daughter of James A. and Ellendor Wyatt
of South Carolina. Ellendor Wyatt last appeared in the
home of William Barnes during the 1850 census of the
Second Civil District, Benton County.

William James Barnes, son of Rev. William and Sarah
Barnes, also became a Methodist Minister and inherited
his fathers Bible. He married Martha Brown on 3 September
1862. Martha Brown was born 8 November 1839, died 19
November 1871 and buried in an unmarked grave at the
Palestine Methodist Cemetery.

William James and Martha Barns had issue:

1. Margaret Annie Barnes born 11 August 1863 and
died 29 July 1865.
2. Andrew Green Barnes born 21 February 1865.
3. Sallie Ettie Barnes born 18 July 1867.
4. Edgar Lucian Barnes born 4 July 1870, married Junie H.
Oxford on 25 November 1894 and died in 1941. Junie was
born in 1881 and died in 1908.
5. Martha Magdalen Barnes born 17 November 1871 and died
on 16 August 1872.
Rev. William James Barns married second, Sarah Ann
Lawler, on 27 November 1873. She was born in 1848 a
daughter of Aaron and Martha Lawler and became a school
teacher in Benton County. Sarah Ann died in October of
1876 and buried in an unmarked grave at the Palestine
Methodist Cemetery near Holladay, TN.

Rev. William James Barnes married third, Mary Ann
(Sallie) Anderson on 11 April 1877. She was born in 1858
a daughter of W. Carroll and Margaret Anderson and died
in 1939.

Rev. William James and Sallie Barnes had issue:

1. Geneva Barnes born 12 March 1878.
2. William Virgil Barnes born 3 December 1882.
3. Roy Whitten Barnes born 17 November 1886.
4. Mayblen Barnes born 20 July 1887.
5. Rirdie Marvin Barnes born 5 December 1891.
6. John Weslie Barnes born 24 January 1894.
7. Julie Victoria Barnes born 17 March 1896.
8. Kathleen Barnes born 25 March 1898.
9. George Wilber Barnes born 25 September 1899 and died
in 1936.

Rev. William James Barnes died 23 January 1923.
Sallie died in 1939. Both were buried in the Palestine
Methodist Cemetery near Holladay, TN.

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